Lock for holding signals at danger.



PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

' G. W, COLEMAN. LOCK FOR HOLDING SIGNALS AT DANGER.

APPLICATION FILED 001229. 19.08.

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um MIMI" i=2: 7 u n hum Wei fitter/14 Witnesses PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

C. W. COLEMAN.

LOOK FOR HOLDING SIGNALS AT DANGER.

APPLIGATION FILED OCT. 29, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEIIT 2.

V Witnesses UNITED sTA'rns PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE W. COLEMAN, OF WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE HALL SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

LOCK FOR HOLDING SIGNALS AT DANGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed October 29, 1906. Serial No. 340,933-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE W. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Westfield, in the construction, and efliciency of operation; also to secure rigidity and freedom from complication of all parts located in proximity to the semaphore; and has further objects and advantages which will hereinafter appear.

My invention is applicable to standard signals wherein the semaphore has a normal bias to danger, such bias being secured by means of a counterweight. In such signals the bias to danger may sometimes be changed to a bias to clear by the accumulation of snow or ice upon the semaphore blade; also the signal could be improperly cleared by repairmen, or by some one tampering with it. My invention prevents the movement of the semaphore away from the danger position by the weight of such accumulations or by any manipulation of the semaphore or its rod, and includes the combination with a semaphore and its operating rod, of a device for preventing a signal operating movement from being in any way imparted to the rod except by the means provided for that purpose. i

I will now describe the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will thereafter point out my invention in claims.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation showing the device of my invention, a semaphore signal in the danger position, and a portion of the frame and other parts of the signaloperating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a similar view, except that the device is in locked position and that only the parts in proximity to the locking device are shown. Fig. 3 is a front elevation with the signal in the clear position. Fig. 4 is aside elevation, looking to the left of Fig. 1, the semaphore operating rod and other parts being omitted. Fig. 5 is a side elevation, looking to the right of Fig. 3,. with similar omissions.

A portion of the frame of a signal operating mechanism is shown at 1., and guided therein by the bearing at 2 and by the usual dash pot 3 is the thrust-rod or actuating bar 4, which may be operated in any manner whatever by suitable automatic mechanism or manually. In the construction shown, the bottom of the dash pot 3 forms a convenient stop, as is a common construction, for the actuating bar 4 when the signal is atthe danger position, but a stop for the actuating bar at any other point would serve as well, or even if the stop were located at the semaphore the operation of the device of.

the present invention would not be interfered with, it only being necessary that there should be a suitable stop to prevent the semaphore from going past the dan- .ger position.

A usual operating rod 5 for a semaphore 6 is connected to the actuating bar 4 by a link 7 which also serves as a latch for locking the rod 5 when the semaphore is at the danger position. The semaphore 6 is of the standard variety, being pivoted at 27 to a support 8 and counter weighted at 9 to give it a normal bias toward the danger position. The operating rod 5 is pivoted to the semaphore at 10, and the semaphore is brought to the clear position by an upward thrust on the operating rod in the usual manner, and when the operating rod is released the semaphore assumes the. danger position by reason of the counterweight, but in the present invention it is necessary that the upward thrust on the operating rod, for clearing the signal, should be imparted by the actuating bar, as the operating rod becomes automatically locked against a signal-operating movement being otherwise communicated to it to bring the semaphore away from the danger position.

The link or latch 7 is attached to the bar 4 so as to permit of its having a limited pivotal movement relatively thereto. A bolt 11 forms a pivot for the link 7, the link within its limits of movement working freely upon the belt which has shoulders. at 12 abutting against the bar 4 and is held firmly in place by a nut 13. The link 7 has a channel across it forming square shoulders at 14 and sloping shoulders at 15, the end of the bar 4 lying in the channel, the squareshoulders abutting against the bar to limit the pivotal movement of the link in one direction and hold it perpendicular to the bar, and the sloping shoulders abutting against the bar to limit the pivotal movement of the link in the opposite direction and to stop the link at an oblique angleto the bar. The link 7 has a pivotal connection with the operating rod 5 by reason of a bolt 16 passing loosely through the end of the link 7 and screwing into the lower end of the operating rod. Atthe other end of the link 7 opposite to its'connection with the operating rod is a substantially right-angularly. and upwardly projecting portion 17 forming a latch,the latch being for engagement with the hook 18 of a stationary catch 19 secured to and projecting upwardly from the frame 1. A i A When the link 7 is in its position at right angles to the actuating bar 4, the square shoulders then abutting against the bar, the relative positions of the latch 17 and of the catch 19 are such that upon the movement of the actuating bar the latch 17 will pass freely by the hook 18 without touching it. When, however, the link 7 is tilted to the position in which the sloping shoulders bear against the actuating bar, the point of the latch 17 is thrown outward until the hook 18 lies in ating bar. When such an upward pull is applied to the operating rod, the actuating bar, owing to its weight, inertia and friction, acts as a resistance, and as the actuating bar tends to remain stationary, the link 7 is turned upon the pivot bolt 11 and the latch 17 is thrown to the locking position. The tilting or pivotal movement of the link 7, while amply suflicient to operate the latch 17, allows such a slight movement of the operating rod that the signal indication is not affected.

It will be seen from the above that when the signal is at danger, any tendency to movement from that position, resulting either from the weight of sufficiently accumulated snow or ice upon the semaphore blade, or from any attempt to make signal show the clear indication by a manipulation of the semaphore or of its operating rod, will only result in the operation of the locking device, by which the operating rod will be locked and the signal held at danger. However, the normal operation of the signal is not interfered with, for if force be applied to the actuating bar to move itupward, the semaphore and its operating rod, pressing down upon the end of the link 7, furnish a resistance which keeps the square shoulders in contact with the actuating bar and the latch free from engagement with the hook of the catch.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction shown and above particularly described within the principle and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. The combination of a signal, an operating rod therefor, a stationary part, and means connecting the member and the rod for communicating a signal operating movement from the member to the rod to move the signal from danger position and for preventing, by engagement with the stationary part, the communication of such a movement in any other way to the rod.

2. The combination of a signal having a normal bias to danger position, an operating rod therefor, an actuating member, a stationary part, and means connecting the member and the rod for communicating a signal-operating movement from the member to the rod to move the signal from danger position and for preventing, by engagement with the stationary part, the communication of such a movement in any other way to the rod.

3. The combination of a signal, an operating rod therefor, an actuating member, connecting means between the rod and the member, said means also constituting a latch, and a catch in the path of the latch when the latch is moved out of normal operative position.

4. The combination of a signal, an operating rod therefor, an actuating member, connecting means between the rod and the member, said means also constituting a latch, and a catch for the latch, the latch being operated to engage the catch by a movement of the rod relatively to the actuating member.

5. The combination of a rod, a signal operated thereby,

can actuating bar, a link connecting the rod and the bar,

the link also constituting a latch, and a catch in the path of the latch when the latch is in operative position, the

- latch being moved to operative position by a movement of the rod relatively to the bar.

6. The combination of arod, a signal operated thereby, an actuating bar, a link connecting the rod and the bar, the link also constituting a latch, and a stationary catch for the latch, the latch being operated to engage the catch by a movement of the rod relatively to the bar.

7. The combination of a semaphore, a reciprocatable operating rod therefor, a reciprocatable actuating bar, a

link connecting the rod and the bar and capable of limited angular movement relatively thereto, and a stationary catch, the link having a portion for engaging the catch upon the angular position of the link being changed by the rod.

8. The combination of a signal, a reciprocatable operating rod therefor, a reciprocatable actuating bar, a connecting link pivoted to the rod and to the bar and having stops limiting its pivotal movement, and a stationary catch, the link having a portion for engaging the catch when the link is moved on its pivots by the rod.

S). The combination of a signal, a reciprocatahle operating rod therefor, a reciprocatable actuating bar, a connect ing link pivoted to the rod and to the bar and having shoulders for limiting its pivotal movement by engaging the bar, and a stationary catch for engaging the link when the link is moved on its pivots by,the rod.

10. The combination of a signal, an operating ro'd, an actuating bar, a link pivoted upon the bar and connected to the rod and having stops limiting its pivotal movement, a frame in which the bar is guided, and a catch, carried by the frame, for engaging the link when the link is pivotally moved by the rod.

11. The combination of a signal, a signal lock, signal actuating means, and connections between the signal and the signal-actuating means comprising two relatively-movable members operating to transmit movement to the sig nal from said actuating means but to move relatively when the signal is moved by extraneous force, said connections being connected with the signal lock so as to throw it into operation by such relative movement.

In testimony whereof I have atfixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE W.- COLEMAN.-

Witnesses HENRY D. WILLIAMS, ,YVM. A, KELLY. 

